March is National Caffeine Awareness Month, which is intended to raise awareness of how much caffeine you are consuming and maybe even help you cut that amount back. Caffeine is around us now more than ever. It’s not just in coffee, tea, and soda … more

To the Editor: Northwest Iowa is filled with vibrant communities and is a wonderful place to live and raise our children. One reason we all feel so fortunate to live in Palo Alto County, or any of the surrounding counties, is because of the … more

We have been experiencing an early Spring and enjoying every minute of it. Even though the temperatures are more seasonal now (as opposed to earlier in the week) it’s so much better than the sub-zero Arctic blast we experienced in … more

Phosphorus is chemical element number 15 and listed simply as P on the periodic table. It is not a free element but concentrated in the earth’s crust. This listing does nothing to indicate the significance of the element that is so important to … more

Iowa History Month is being observed during March in conjunction with the 175th anniversary of statehood this year. The State Historical Society of Iowa has invited Iowans to engage with history. Have you ever been to the State Historical Museum … more

Let me first apologize for the deceptive title of this column for those of you reading this with the hope of gaining some insight into college basketball. It's not that kind of March Madness. Instead I am alluding to the current state of the world … more

The word “blizzard” is the creation of a newspaper editor in Estherville, O.C. Bates, who made it up to describe a late snow storm in 1871. State Representative Megan Jones included this bit of information in her newsletter last week. Out of … more

A watershed is an area of land where all water drains into a central point like a lake, river or stream. The saying, water takes the path of least resistance, is appropriate in terms of a watershed. Every drop of rain passes over the watershed … more

Throughout the arctic blast that sent us into sub-zero temperatures, I have been on the lookout for sun dogs. As a child, I remember my mother talking about sun dogs and pointing them out to us when they appeared in the cold winter sky. It’s a … more

With the arctic air that has settled into the Midwest, MidAmerican Energy offers tips to help customers save money on utility bills while also remaining comfortable. During normal winter conditions, MidAmerican recommends turning down … more